2 mishaps I had that caused damage My Fault??

[BOAT]

Hmmmm - looks like it would make the swim ladder safer too.

Anyone else have experience with one of these thrusters? It looks like it would diminish prop twist too (you know the thing that makes you go a little sideways). I can't remember what they call it - I'm sure all the power boat people know.

[Russ]

Check out http://www.powerthruster.com This really enhances reverse thrust and slow speed maneuvering--no negatives that I can tell. After I installed one on my she also jumped up on plane quicker.

Bob

Lot's of controversy over these things. Don't you think that OB mfgs would offer a foot built that way for that application if it was worth 20-30% gains? I hear these radio ads for some patented gizmo that will give you 15% more fuel efficiency with more horsepower. Again, if it worked, why wouldn't the car makers be using it themselves.
I'm in the skeptic park. These (powerthruster) devices do have the advantage of protecting the prop and making it a bit safer for things near it. It might help get a powerboat "out of the hole" quicker, but it must be at a cost else manufacturers would be using a similar design.
** (Sideways blade pressure is what you are thinking. Not sure this device negates it.)

The more I think about your lack of reverse thrust, the more I think the situation and panic had much to do with it. So your outboard (eTec) shoots the exhaust out the prop. Suddenly you reverse it, instead of sucking water through the prop, it inhales the exhaust that just exited. You hear a weird sound (prop chewing exhaust) and the prop has no bite. The moment probably lasts a second or two and before the propwash can settle down so the prop can get a new bite, it's over. Another reason reverse doesn't work well on outboards is that the prop is "eating" exhaust while backing up.

Sounds like nothing is wrong with your outboard, you pulled on it to make sure it's not lifting up. Next time you are out, test a quick reverse. If all is well, chalk it up to a fluke situation. As mentioned, never count on reverse for brakes, especially in a quirky situations.
Also, in slow, tight docking situations, ALWAYS have all fins down full. Still, the Mac doesn't turn like a displacement boat. I have also found my boat turns tighter to port than starboard. Maybe the steering turns more or it might be the extra sideways blade pressure, but it has a preference to one side.

--Russ

[BOAT]

I find the boat highly maneuverable with a full ballast tank and all boards down. We dance around the launch ramp docks coming in with ease - that's why the sudden loss of brakes were such a surprise to me. I never had anything like that happen. I do indeed have trouble when the boards are up and it's REALLY squirrely against the wind with boards up and no ballast. I just can't wait to try to bring it in on my first try at the Shelter Island launch ramp in San Diego this summer - it has a STRONG crosswind and no docks in the middle as I recall. You gotta drive it on to the trailer so that means no dagger-board. I think on that one I will leave my Wife on the dock and have her toss me a line tied to the front of the trailer and I will just pull it in from the bow pulpit once i get past the goalposts. Not sure on that one.

Revers is real important when you trying to drive onto the trailer - it's easy to miss and you need to pull off and start over. I'll check it out real good the next time I am out.

[Tomfoolery]

I pulled away from the Dock at the Jolly Roger last week on memorial day and I was parked right where that big cabin cruiser was and as I motored forward the boat would not leave the dock cleanly! It just scraped along the dock all the way on my starboard side to the end even though I had the wheel turned to port. Later I realized the problem was that the dagger-board was NOT down so there was no pivot to turn the boat on.

With the directed thrust of the OB, it's often easier to pole the stern off the dock a little, and (given the scenario you described) cut the wheel full port and give some reverse blasts to 'pull' the stern further off the dock. Get into the open, then spin around the dagger board a la keelboat style. Just keep in mind which way the OB is pointing, and you can back-and-forth your way within your own boat length or so. Sort of a 'back and fill' maneuver with a keelboat, but with the directed thrust of the OB, you can turn pretty tightly in a small circle. Worth practicing in the open, as it can be a lifesaver (boatsaver?) in close quarters with the wrong wind.

[BOAT]

Normally if I know I have a strong wind holding me to the dock i will use a real long bow line and put it around the dock cleat and have the end of the line in my hand back in the cockpit. Then I reverse out and the boat swings on the bow line and when the stern is out far enough I can let go of the rope and just go backwards.

I hate the maneuver because I need to scramble to get the loose line out of the water before I shift to forward power or I will run over my line. It's easy with help - I guess I need to get the wife to do more but she is sort of scared to go out on the deck - she thinks she will fall off the boat.

[Russ]

I leave the dagger down and rudders down and untied when retrieving onto the trailer. Just as soon as the bow clears the goal posts, I have a crew member pull the dagger up quickly. Usually the rudders are okay, but if they hit the ramp, they kick up. Once attached, pull rudders up and go.

After owning a keel boat, the Mac is VERY light and hard to handle in any wind. Full fins and ballast is the only help. Still, it gets blown around easily. Something to master is all.

--Russ

[BOAT]

I do not have a crew.

[Russ]

I do not have a crew.

Crew is ideal, but you can pull the dagger yourself from the helm. I've done that too.

[Tomfoolery]

That's how I load my , and my crew, if I have any, is on the shore or dock. I motor onto the trailer at idle with the swing centerboard and one rudder down (CB halfway down, rudder not cleated), and pull the centerboard up before it hits the trailer. As long as I get the bow into the goalposts, I'm good, as I have a pair of lines from the goalposts to the pipe vee at the winch, and that bridle will steer it right into position even if I do a lousy job of it.

[BOAT]

Yeah, that idea to have lines going from the goalposts to the front of the trailer is a great idea. I have been trying to think up something like that.

In my brain I imagined a rope tied to the winch down low and the ends of the rope tied back at the top of the goalposts tied REAL TIGHT like with a truckers hitch.

I thought maybe if the rope was tight enough it might guid the front of the boat to the front of the trailer (wishful thinking??) and also have in the lines go back to the goalposts give me something to grab so I can use one of those lines as a way to pull the boat onto the trailer from the bow too. (I just need to get close enough to step on the trailer ladder and get down on the tongue (I wonder if it would work)?

[Tomfoolery]

Well, this is just your lucky day, now isn't it.

Bridle in place. Remember that the stern will be much higher when floating, so the bridle lines aren't angled down as severely (or at all):



Extended goal post with wire eye bolt to hold bridle:



Rolling hitch at the bow, though a trucker's hitch would work fine, too:

[BOAT]

Very Excellent!! Thanks for the pics tkansler!! So that works good driving onto the trailer eh? I must rig up the same setup - The only launch ramps in San Diego and Los Alamitos bay have no docks - and Los Alamitos is the best jumping off point for Catalina Island.

You fly in New York!!? Do you sail by the statue of liberty and over there where those big skyscrapers are too?

Thanks greatly for the mad pics!

(PS where is you mast??)

[Tomfoolery]

(PS where is you mast??)

I was wondering if anyone would notice.

Here it is, hanging off the ceiling in my garage.



I'm going to plop the boat in the Erie Canal in a couple of days, and that mast really gets in the way. So I took it off. And hung it from the ceiling, using the $7 Harbor Freight cheap-o 500 lb capacity (yeah, right - more like 50 lb capacity) block and fall kits and some big bicycle ceiling hooks. The blocks are used to hoist it, one at each end, and the big hooks have some line holding the mast closer to the ceiling. I have to splice up some short slings out of 1/4" 3-strand to make a basket hitch at each end. Once it's up there, I can easily push it up another foot to make the hooks, leaving the blocks attached as a backup.

[mastreb]

The only launch ramps in San Diego and Los Alamitos bay have no docks

Pier 32/Pepper Park Launch Ramp in National City has nice docks, and is by far the easiest ramp in San Diego bay. Not many people know about it.

[bscott]

Check out http://www.powerthruster.com This really enhances reverse thrust and slow speed maneuvering--no negatives that I can tell. After I installed one on my she also jumped up on plane quicker.

Bob

Lot's of controversy over these things. Don't you think that OB mfgs would offer a foot built that way for that application if it was worth 20-30% gains? I hear these radio ads for some patented gizmo that will give you 15% more fuel efficiency with more horsepower. Again, if it worked, why wouldn't the car makers be using it themselves.
I'm in the skeptic park. These (powerthruster) devices do have the advantage of protecting the prop and making it a bit safer for things near it. It might help get a powerboat "out of the hole" quicker, but it must be at a cost else manufacturers would be using a similar design.
** (Sideways blade pressure is what you are thinking. Not sure this device negates it.)

The more I think about your lack of reverse thrust, the more I think the situation and panic had much to do with it. So your outboard (eTec) shoots the exhaust out the prop. Suddenly you reverse it, instead of sucking water through the prop, it inhales the exhaust that just exited. You hear a weird sound (prop chewing exhaust) and the prop has no bite. The moment probably lasts a second or two and before the propwash can settle down so the prop can get a new bite, it's over. Another reason reverse doesn't work well on outboards is that the prop is "eating" exhaust while backing up.

Sounds like nothing is wrong with your outboard, you pulled on it to make sure it's not lifting up. Next time you are out, test a quick reverse. If all is well, chalk it up to a fluke situation. As mentioned, never count on reverse for brakes, especially in a quirky situations.
Also, in slow, tight docking situations, ALWAYS have all fins down full. Still, the Mac doesn't turn like a displacement boat. I have also found my boat turns tighter to port than starboard. Maybe the steering turns more or it might be the extra sideways blade pressure, but it has a preference to one side.

--Russ

If the Power Thruster did not improve slow speed maneuvering, reverse prop thrust, reduced prop walking and faster out of the hole I would not have posted the link here. It would have been boxed up and sent back for a full refund. 3 years of testing on my and all of the above apply.

I don't think there is any measurable gains in fuel economy but I can troll all day on two gallons of gas.

The E-tec (and all other modern engines) exhausts combustion gas thru the prop hub--at no time does it inhale the exhaust. Cooling water is pumped into the power head from vents in the lower unit and peed out the back of the power head. Reverse prop efficiency is diminished by the exhaust gas but the PT's nozzle effect magnifies the thrust-especially with a 14" prop.

Bob